Electric distributing device.



i R. H. MANRoss. ELECTRIC DISTBIBUTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 4,l 1912.

1,087,453. Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

[[/ibzessss Ih vsnYm-f gg www 1 ROBERT H. MANROSS, 0F FORESTVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

lELECTRIC DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1 7, 1914.

. Application iled March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,511.

To ill whom it may concern Be it known ,that.I, ROBERT H. MANRoss,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Forestville, in the county of Hartford and State 0f Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Distributing Devices, of which the followinglis a specification.

y invention relates to improvements in electric distributing devices for lighting circuits for automobiles, and the object of my improvement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and eiiciency in use.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a front elevation of my electric distributing device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the saine. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the body portion of the casing. Fig. 5 is a seetional View on an enlarged scale on the line m as of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the stationary contact member. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the saine.A Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the movable contact member. Fi'gQ9 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 10is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the same on the line y of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a rear elevation ofy the body portion ofthe casing.

My distributing vdevice A comprises a cylindrical structure that is completely closed on all sides, provided on the front end with a laterally extending sugiporting flange 17 and also provided on the ront end with a dial 19 and a handle member F comprising a combined handle 21 and index iinger 20 and also with locking means to beV described, and at the rear end is provided with a plurality ofterminals C suitable for receiving the connecting wires for the electric circuits.

The inclosing casing comprises a main` body portion B that is a shell-like, cupshaped structure having a cylindrical lateral wall 15, closed at the front by the wall 16 that extends laterally to form the su porting flange 17 and 1s provided at t e center with the axially directed -sleeve 22 that is of appreciable length and has the axial hole 23.l n

An inward] i directed flange 24 adjacent the rear end ot the cylindrical wall 15 forms with the extreme rear end 25 of the said wall an annular recess 2G corresponding to the thickness of the front plate 18 of the cover member D and suitable to receive the same and is provided with threaded holes 37 for receiving holding screws 53 and is also provided with a positioning pin 38.

The sleeve 22 comprises a body portion 27 that extends inwardly, axially, from the front wall 16 and has a cylindrical exterior suitable for supporting and guiding a coil spring E thatsurrounds the same and has an annular portion 32 extending slightly forward of the front wall 1G and which on the front face is provided with a series of notches 29 that extend radially across the face of the front end 3() of the sleeve 22.

The said radial notches 29 are arranged in pairs in diametrical alinement, one on each side of the central hole 23, forming an in* terrupted diametral notch, and they are suitable to receive the diametricall disposed teeth 31 on the rear face of the andle member F.

The dial 19 is positioned on the upper portion of the front wall 1G between the annular extension 32 of the sleeve 22 and the top edge and extends in the form of an are concentric with the axis, and is suitably marked to coperate with the index 2O .when the notches 29 are engaged with the teeth 31 to indicate the different conditions of distribution of the electric lighting circuits.

A pair of stops 37 are provided on the lower portion of the front wall 16, one on each 36 supported by the saidv hub portion 35 and electrically insulated therefrom. The hub portion 35 extends radially outwardly relatively to the body portion 27 of the sleeve 22 suitably to form a seat for theV rear end -of the spring E. The front end of the spring E bears against the rear face of the front wall 16 and the. said spring operates to tend to force the distributer G rearwardly by reason of the engagement thereof with the hub portion 35 as described. The shaft portion 34 as stated passes throu h the axial hole 23 in the sleeve 22 and t e front end is a tit for the hole 39 ich fits the axial hole 23 and in the handle member F. A radial screw 40 serves to removably connect the handle member F and the distributer G.

A pair of rivet holes 41 are diametrally positioned in the hub portion 35, and receive rivets 42 that serve to connect the composite disk 36 to the said hub portion 35. The said composite disk 36 is composed of a rear member 43 of insulating material and a front member 44 of sheet metal. The said rivets 42 have their heads embedded in the material of the rear member 43, and their body portions pass throu h the said rear member 43,.the front mem er 44, and also a sheet of insulating material interposed between the said front member 44 and the hub portion 35. The body portions of the rivets 42 may be insulated from the front member 44 of sheet metal, as by means of a bushing of insulating material, or by providing a clearance space, or the same may possibly be in electrical connection therewith or grounded thereto. As described the hub portion 35 is insulated from a central contact 47 to be described. The rivets 42 are positioned between the said central contact 47 and the contacts 46 concentric therewith and are out of position for registration with the stationary contacts provided that coperate with the said central contact 47 and the exterior contacts 46,

As described, the rivets 42 serve to hold the disk 36 to the hub portion and also co; operate to hold the insulation portion 43 of the disk 36 in'close contact with the metallic portion 44 thereof so that the said metallic portion servesfto mechanically reinforce the said insulation portion. The disk 36 extends radially outwardly relatively to the hub portion 35 so as to provide an annular extension exterior to the said hub portion 35, andthe outer periphery is :ppreciably separated from the inner wall o e cylindrical lateral wall 15 of the casin A plurality of contacts is provided in t e disk 36 comprising a contact 47 at the center and the others 46 located in the said annular portion and in a circle concentric with the said central contact 47, which contacts comprise each a body portion 48 that is a fit for a hole in the metallic disk 44 and having the front end headed over and a head 49 on thev rear end that is embedded in the insulation disk 43, having the rear face eX- po'sed. Accordingly, the rivets 46 and 47 coperate-with the rivets 42 to have the metallic portion of the disk 36 serve as a mechanical reinforcement of the insulation portion thereof. The handle member F comprises the handle proper 21 at one end, the lndex 20 at the other end and a hub l50 Aintermediate the lsaid ends provided with the hole 39 for engaging with the shaft member 34 and the hole 51 for the screw 40 and the rear face fof the hub 50 is provided with the teeth 31 for engaging with the front face 30 of the sleeve 22 and with the notches 29.

The cover member D comprises a coniposite structure consisting of the metallicI plate or disk 18 on the front face that is a fitfor the recess 26 and a rear portion 52 of insulating material which is of the saine diameter as the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall 15. and the said disks are pro vided with holes in alinement and ir registration with the holes 37 suitably to receive the holding screws Y The disk 1S is provided with a hole for engaging with the positioning pin 38. The holding screws 53 serve under normal conditions to hold the cover member D to the body portion B and at the same time to hold the insulation portion 52 of the cover proper to the metallic portion 18 thereof so that the said metallic portion serves as a reinforcement of the insulation portion. The cover member Dserves as a closure for the body portion B in the manner described and also serves as a supporting plate for the terminals C. The said terminals are combined with the stationary contacts in a manner to be described and these furthermore serve to further hold the insulation disk 52 and the metallic disk 18 together.

The terminals C comprise each a stud 54 mounted on and insulated from the cover D. As shown the said stud 54 extends through the hole 55 in the cover D and has on the body portion a flange 57 in front of the said cover D, and separated from the front plate 18 of the cover D by an insulating washer v53. The rear end 69 of the stud 5,4 is threaded and there are mounted thereon metallic washers 71 and nuts 70, the first washer 71 being in contact with the rear portion 52 of the cover D and the irst nut 70 in contact therewith and serving as the holding means for the stud 54 in coperation with the flange 57 and the other washer 71and nut 70 being on the extreme rear end and serving as an electric terminal for receiving and holding the electric wire head.

The front end 56 of the stud 54 that is housed within the casing extends inwardly from the cover D an appreciable and predetermined distance and all the contacts provided are made alike, and project inwardly the same distance and the extreme front or inner ends thereof are carefully faced off to provide a seat for a contact shoe 59 tobe described. The said contact shoe 59 comprises a sleeve like body 60 having an axial iole that is a sliding tit for the inner end 56 of the stud 55, providing a telescopic connection .therewith and is provided-on the front end with a head 61 the extreme front face 62 of which serves as a contact proper and which head 61 is provided with a lateral flange 63 suitable for receiving the front end of a coil spring 64.

-The coil spring 64 is mounted on the inner end 56 of the stud 55 and the sleeve-like body 60 and the rear end is in abutment With the flange 57 on the stud 55, and the spring ends may be secured to the flanges 57 and 63'. The said spring 64 tends to force the shoe 59 outwardly relatively to the stud 55. As shown there are four terminals or contacts C comprising one central contact and three lateral contacts C at radial positions and distributed essentially equidistant from one another, and located in a circle corresponding to that in which the contacts 49 are located in the movable contact disk 36. The contacts C and 49 are positioned so that they will coperate to produce the desired changes in distribution of the electric circuits. The contacts shown serve to provide for changes involving all disconnected and supplying current to three different circuits, the connection to the supply which may be a battery or dynamo,

being made to the central terminal C and the connections for the particular circuits being made to the lateral terminals C. In

vother words, the source iof supply is con- `nected to the central terminal C and the different branch circuits are connected to the lateral terminals C, there being as many of these as desired. These latter lare arranged in a circle around the central terminal C. The central terminal lC is in line' with and contacts with the central contact 47 on the composite disk 36 of.the distributing member G. The lateral contacts 49 are in electrical connect-ion with the central contact 47 and arranged in a circle around the same, the contacts 49 and the lateral terminals C Therefore as the distributing member G is turned the lcontacts 49 and thel adjacent parts ot'- the insulating washer 43 will pass over the lateral terminals Cy and by a suitable arrangement of the positioning teeth and notches, when the distributing member Cr is brought to rest the lateral contacts C will be -in registration with certain contacts 49 or will simply bear on the insulating Washer 43 according to the result desired for the particularpposition of the said distributing member G. The central stud or terminal C is connected to one side of the supply circuit and thje lateral or distributing studs C are connected to the corresponding sides of the branch circuits, it being understood that the ot-hersid'es of the branch circuitsare connected to the other side ot` the supply circuit.

In operation, they handle member F is positioned with the teeth 31 engaged with notches 29; the springE forces the movable contact member rearwardly to the limit; and the saidlimit is found with the shoe 59 tion is desired the handle 21 is operated to turn the movable contact member, which operation serves irst to lift the teeth 31 out of the notches 29 so that the said teeth 31 will ride on the front face 30 of the sleeve 22' and at the same time lifting the movable contacts bodily away from the normal position of engagement with the stationary contacts, which results in relieving the sliding faces of the contacts and the rear face of the insulation disk 43 of the condition involving the essentially rigid contact condition between the shoe and st-ud, and providing in lieu thereof a resilient sliding condition of the contacts durinor the period ot' changing from one to another of the positions of distribution.

My distributing device is particularly suited to low voltage lighting conditions, such as are found on automobiles.

1 claim as my invention 1. A distributing device comprising a set of stationary contacts 'and a coperative set of movable contacts having means for being rotated, the said sets of contacts comprising each a central contact and a plurality of Vlateral contacts arranged in a c1rcle around the same, and the said means operative when changing from one posit-ion to another to move the said movable contacts as a body away from the normal position of engagement with the said Xed contacts.

2. A distributing device comprising'a set ofy stationary contacts and a coperative set of movable contacts having means for being rotated, the said sets of contacts comprising each a central contact and a plurality of lateral cont-acts arranged in a circle around the same, the said ymeans operative when changing from one posit-ion to another to move the said movable contacts as a body awayv from the normal position of engagement with the said fixed contacts, combined with means for locking the said movable contacts in different positions to which they may be set relatively to the said stationary contacts.

3. A distributing device comprising a Set of stationary contacts, and a moving element, the said moving element comprising al member having a shaft portion at one end and a hub portion at the other end, and a disk supported from the said hub portion and the said disk comprising a composite structure, having a metallic backing on the side of the said hub portion and an insulation disk on the other side, and a plurality of contacts passing through the said insulation disk, having one end secured to the said metallic hacking, and heads on the other end and the said heads embedded in the said insulation disk.

4. A distributing device having copcrat ing contacts comprising a set of movable contacts, a disk comprising a composite structure having a metallic portion and an insulation port-ion, the said metallic port-ion serving as the means of support for the said disk and the said movable contacts mounted on the said disk and suitably distributed to serve as means for securing the said insulation portion to the metallic portion.

5. A distributing device having a housing comprising a cylindrical body portion having a front Wall, and a rear Wall, an axial sleeve provided in the said front -Wall and integral therewith, a set of stationary contacts mounted on the said rear Wall, a moving element operatively mounted in the said sleeve, having a handle at the front end and a distributing device proper at the other end, means operative in response to a turning movement of the said handle to move the said moving element bodily toward and away from the said rear Wall and the said stationary contacts comprising a central contact in axial alinement with the said moving element and a plurality of lateral contacts and the said moving element having contacts coperative with the said central contact and lateral Contact.

ROBERT H. MANROSS.

Witnesses:

JUNIUS Z. DoUcLAss, E. D. CURTISS. 

